Like Brother, Like Sister
by Unexpected-Adventures
Summary: George Weasley had always thought of his little sister as the 'mini Molly' of the family, never quite bonding with her like he had with his brothers. But George will soon find out that maybe they he and Ginny have more in common than he thought. A Short Story for Round 5 of Quidditch League Writing Competition!


**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters/story lines that belong to it, all credit goes to God-Queen Rowling!**

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**This is a short story I wrote for Round 5 of the Quidditch League Writing Competition I am currently in.  
I am Chaser 2 for the Caerphilly Catapults!**

**Inspiration: George Weasley  
****Prompts: Candle, Forgetful, "If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change." Wayne Dyer**

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"Where are you going?" Ginny Weasley gazed suspiciously at her older brother as he began to creep silently towards the portrait hole in Gryffindor Tower.

"Why are you still awake?" George asked, out of a mixture of curiosity and wanting to distract Ginny as to why he was sneaking out.

Ginny eyed her brother curiously.

"Finishing homework," she whispered, "Now where are off to?"

"Nowhere," George replied, a little too quickly, "Just getting some fresh air."

Ginny set aside her quill and parchment and stood up from her seat, approaching George with her hands on her hips and a glint in her eyes.

Despite the fact she was only twelve-years old, Ginny always managed to intimidate him when she wore this particular look, which reminded him strikingly of the glare his mother gave him whenever he had been caught in the act of something mischievous with Fred.

"So where are you _really_ going?" she asked, and he was relieved to see their was a smirk tugging at her lips.

George considered his younger sister for a moment, wondering whether he could tell her the real reason why he was sneaking out of Gryffindor Tower a considerable hour past midnight.

He had never been particularly close to Ginny. Partly because of their age difference and because he had always preferred to spend time with Fred rather than his other five siblings, whose ideas for fun were much different to theirs. He had always thought of his little sister as a "mini Molly Weasley," which was why he tended to distance himself from her when he it came to his everyday plans, always guessing that she would reprimand him rather than approve.

"I'm- uh, I'm going to Hogsmeade," he whispered, his eyes narrowing slightly as he watched carefully for her reaction.

"_What_?"

"Shh!"

Ginny shot him a reproaching glare but lowered her voice, "You're going to Hogsmeade? _How_? _Why_?"

"I can't explain right now, Gin," George said, "I have to go-"

"George, you can't go!" Ginny whispered hurriedly, "What about Sirius Black? What if you get hurt?"

"_Please_," George scoffed, "I'll be fine – now go to bed before we both get caught."

But Ginny stood her ground, crossing her arms over her chest and staring him down in a very Molly Weasley-ish manner. This was the exact look George had been trying to avoid.

"Ginny – I promise I'll explain it to you later," he sighed, "Just please go to your dorm or I'll- I'll… tell Mum you were up this late."

Ginny's bright brown eyes widened, "You wouldn't!"

"I would- and I will if you don't go now."

Ginny struggled for a moment, trying to think of a quick retort, "Well, if- if you tell her I'll tell her you were sneaking out at night."

But this threat didn't have effect Ginny hoped. George merely shrugged it off casually.

"That's happened too many times already for her to care," he said, feeling considerably happier now that he was one up on his sister.

Ginny glared at him and bit her lip, still deep in thought. When she had apparently given up, she stuck out her tongue to him and shoved her books into her bag and stalked away up to the girl's dormitory.

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An hour later found George slipping out of the One-Eyed Witch passageway, his jacket pockets laden with sweets from Honeyduke's and various Zonko's tricks.

Quickly checking that the coast was clear on the Marauder's Map by the light of his wand, George began the trek back up to Gryffindor Tower, lost in his thoughts. He had walked this path so many times that there was no real need for him to pay attention, besides to check the map every so often for any professors or prefects.

But George was an expert at this – he knew exactly what paths they were likely to take if they were on duty and at what times aswell. After all, when you snuck out as many times as George and Fred Weasley, you couldn't help but learn something from it.

But this time, George was a little too confident in his knowledge, and had neglected checking the Marauders Map as often as he usually would, too deep in thought about Quidditch tactics for the upcoming match against Slytherin.

By the time he saw a soft glint of light appear at the end of the hall it was too late.

"Ah, what have we here?" came a wheezing voice George recognised all too well.

George cursed his carelessness under his breath as the caretaker Argus Filch came into view.

George was inclined to believe on more than one occasion that Filch never slept, but merely wandered the halls at night with his creepy cat, hoping to find a student sneaking through the corridors after hours that he could punish.

"A student out of bed," Filch smiled wickedly, the light of the candle he held illuminating his face eerily, "Professor McGonagall won't be too happy when she finds out about this. And with a criminal on the loose aswell, dearie me…"

George stayed deadly silent, his brain thinking desperately of a way out, but he had to admit he wasn't usually the twin who conjured the escape plans, merely the plans themselves.

"What are we doing out this late, Weasley?" Filch asked, narrowing his beady eyes. Of course Filch would know George's name, with the amount of times he and Fred had been caught by the caretaker. Then again it was hard _not_ to know who the Weasley twins were when you attended Hogwarts.

"You're out _far_ past your curfew, Weasley… you of all students should know about that," Filch continued in a raspy voice, taking an ominous step closer to George.

"I tend to be rather forgetful when it comes to curfews," George said, allowing himself a small smirk.

Filch's face screwed up in frustration.

"I'm sure you won't be so _forgetful_ after your punishment," Filch spat, beginning to smile wickedly once again, "Oh I wonder what will happen once McGonagall finishes with you-"

Filch abruptly stopped speaking mid-sentence and his face went blank. The caretaker's head tilted to the side and his eyes unfocused, a dazed look overcoming his malicious grin.

George stared at Filch, unable to come to grips with what had happened, when suddenly a wand-light appeared from behind the caretaker, highlighting a small figure with fire-red hair.

"_Ginny_?" George gasped, his eyes staring widely at his sister, "What the hell are you doing here?"

"Saving your ass," Ginny said, looking at him with a mixture of amusement and disapproval.

"How did you know I was here?"

"I followed you," she shrugged.

"You _what_?" George gaped open mouthed.

"I knew you were up to something, George," she said simply, "So I followed you and waited outside that creepy witch statue for you to come back out."

"But- I would have seen you- I _should_ have seen you," he said, looking absentmindedly to where the Marauder's Map sat folded up in his pocket.

"You and Fred aren't the only ones who have a few tricks up their sleeves," Ginny grinned mischievously.

George couldn't help but smile proudly at his sister.

"What did you do to him?" he asked, nodding towards where Filch stood staring dazed and unfocused.

"Simple memory charm," she shrugged, as if this was a spell all second-years could perform.

"Memory charms _aren't_ simple, Gin," George chuckled, looking impressed from Ginny to the _obliviated _Filch, "When did you learn it?"

"Taught myself," she said casually, "I'm ahead of the whole year at charms – I had to do something to entertain myself."

George laughed quietly and shook his head – it seemed he had extremely underestimated the youngest Weasley.

"Why do you look so surprised?" Ginny asked, and George saw a glint of hurt in her eyes, that were so much like their mother's.

"I'm not," he said quickly, "I mean I am- but I just- uh, never thought of you as-"

"Smart?" she offered, a slight bite in her voice, "Talented? Any comparison to my older brothers?"

"No, Gin," George sighed, "I always thought of you as more like- like Mum than any of us."

"Mum had her fair share of mischief when she was our age," Ginny snapped, "_And_ she was smart- she still _is _smart."

"I know she is," he said hopelessly, feeling like he could never win this fight – yet another reason why she reminded him so much of their mother, "But I always thought you would disapprove of what me and Fred do, like her."

"I've never _disapproved_ of what you get up to," Ginny said, her voice lowering, "I've just never been happy that you all never included me in any of it."

George smiled softly and approached his sister, putting a loving hand on her shoulder and bending down so that they were eye-level.

"You remember what Granddad Weasley always used to say?" George asked her softly, trying to catch her gaze, which had lowered to the floor.

Ginny shook her head silently.

"He would say: 'if you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change,'" George recited in a low imitation of their grandfather, which made Ginny giggle.

"How do you know he said that?" she asked, looking up at him with wide eyes.

"Dad told me," he said, "Apparently it's some kind of 'words of wisdom' passed down through the Weasley generations… it's actually one of the reasons why Mum and Dad got together in the first place."

"Really?"

He nodded, thinking of how his grandfather's 'words of wisdom' to his father had changed the way he thought of the bright Molly Prewett.

George smiled playfully, "Yep, but that's an entirely different story… the point is that we've always seen you as just our little sister, but maybe that's gonna change from now on."

"I'd like that," Ginny smiled, "But I'll still be your little sister, right?"

"Of course," George grinned, putting his arm around her shoulder, "You'll always be our little sister… just now a little sister who can kick ass."

Ginny giggled and George joined in with her laughter, and the two Weasley's made their way back up to Gryffindor Tower, talking and bonding with one another for the first time, but certainly not the last.


End file.
